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Currencies of Hind

Every layer of history has brought with it remnants and “metadata” defining our understanding of lost cultures. Currency is one such element in a group of artifacts from daily life, that shed light on these past cultures. Being more than just an instrument of trade, currency adorns important people, insignia, creatures, relics and handiwork of the time.

This gallery is the first of the series that will highlight the various currencies of Hind.

Coin 1 Details

Culture: IndianTitle: Mohur of Shah Jahangir with his PortraitDate: AH 1020 (1611 CE)Material: goldMeasurements: 2.4 cm diameterStyle Period: MughalDescription Inscription: in Arabic, translated: A likeness of Jahangir Shah, son of Akbar Shah, in the year six of his reign.Repository: British Museum, London, United Kingdom

Culture: Indian (British India)Title: Silver rupee in name of the dead Afghan ruler Mahmud Shah DurraniDate: 1843Location: Pakistan, KhairpurDescription: Khairpur had ceased paying tribute to Afghanistan in 1813. At the time this coin was issued, the state was under British occupation. Note the whimsical British lion in the design.Date of photograph: 1989 Set 152, The Robbins Collection of The Indian Princely States: Coins, Medals, Numismatic Items, Military & Court Paraphernalia, Paper Ephemera, and MapsRepository: Kenneth Robbins CollectionCollection: American Council for Southern Asian Art (ACSAA) Collection (University of Michigan)ID Number: 15254